


Two of a Kind

by orphan_account



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dwarven Ones | Soulmates, Fili is isolated, Idiots in Love, Kili is bullied, M/M, Modern Middle Earth, Unrelated Fíli and Kíli
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 06:59:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8614174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Kili enrolled at Eregion Institute at the insistence of his mother, knowing it broke her heart to see him bullied every day at Ered Luin High. He would never fit in at a dwarven school, he knew, so maybe the integrated boarding school would be better. At least he knew that there would likely not be any other dwarves there...#Fili had attended Eregion Institute for two lonely years now, and his junior year wasn't looking to be any better. Despite the lofty interracial goals of the school, the elves, men, and hobbits in attendance tended to stick to themselves when it came to socializing. And since Fili was the only dwarf there, he was left as the odd one out.





	

“Kili, we don’t really have many more options,” Dis told him with a sad sigh. “I won’t have you coming home with bruises every day for the next two years.”

“But, Mom, dwarves don’t _go_ to Eregion Institute!” Kili protested feebly, swallowing back his shame. It was bad enough that he was a failure of a dwarf. He wasn’t sure if he could take being seen as a _weak_ one as well. Leaving Ered Luin to finish his schooling at Eregion Institute felt like running away.

“Which is why you’ll be going there,” she said with finality, opening the oven harshly and pulling out the casserole they were having for dinner. She set it down a little too firmly on the table. “Your uncles agree with me,” she continued. “We think it’s best if you spend some time away from other dwarves.”

Kili grimaced as he looked down at his lap. That meant even _Thorin_ agreed. Uncle Thorin, who was as traditional as a dwarf came and was so suspicious of other races. Even _he_ thought it was better for Kili to not be around other dwarves, then he really _was_ a poor excuse for a dwarf.

“I could try harder to fit in,” he pleaded. He _hated_ Ered Luin High, but he hated being a disappointment to his family.

It was a point of pride that his family could trace their lineage all the way to the legendary Durin himself. A thousand years ago, they had ruled the great dwarven kingdom of Erebor. That was before the heads of the mining guilds had decided they didn’t want to answer to a monarch and had driven his family out. Generations later, their family lived as ordinary dwarves in Ered Luin, with their name the only thing exceptional about them.

And Kili had to go and sully that as well.

The dwarves at his school were hardly impressed by his pedigree. From his first days at primary school, he had been teased for being so scrawny, for his features being too delicate. It got worse as he got older. When he reached age twenty and began high school, all the other dwarfs in his class began sprouting beards. Kili, of course, barely managed a bit of stubble.

The others had seen it as a sign that he wasn’t a _real_ dwarf, and the teasing he had always endured had quickly evolved to shoves and headlocks and swirlies. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t come home sporting some new bruise or scrape. Freshman year had been a nightmare, but he had been sure that sophomore year would be better. The worst of his bullies, after all, had been seniors during his freshman year.

He had been wrong.

No matter how many times his mother or uncles went to the school to get Kili’s bullies properly punished, no matter how many times the teachers actually _did_ intervene and give detentions to his tormenters, it never _stopped_. For every bully that was punished, another two took his place.

Kili was beginning to think it was a vicious cycle. They bullied him because he was a weak, pathetic excuse of a dwarf, and the fact that his mother, uncles, and teachers had to stand up for him only made him look _more_ weak and pathetic, and proved them right. Not to mention those punished always wanted revenge on him for their punishments.

“We don’t want you to try _harder_ , Kili,” Dis replied sadly. “We all know you’re trying hard enough. It’s those _awful_ kids at that school,” she added with a scowl. “And I’ve about had it with the administration too! If they would actually _expel_ the bullies like they _should_ , they would learn it wasn’t worth it.”

“But _Eregion_?” he asked pitifully, pushing the food around on his plate without much appetite. “I don’t _want_ to go to a boarding school, Mom. And it’s all men, elves, and hobbits! They won’t like me any more than dwarves!”

“The headmistress assures me that Eregion has a strictly-enforced zero-tolerance policy on bullying,” his mother informed him. “This discussion is over, Kili. I am getting you out of that school before you come home hurt worse than just a few bumps and bruises. Now eat your supper.”

Kili tucked into his food without further complaint, blinking back his tears furiously so as not to upset his mother. He knew she worried, and if he were honest, she was probably _right_ to worry. But no matter how bad things were at Ered Luin, at least he could come home to people he _knew_ cared for him. At Eregion, even if he weren’t beaten up regularly, he would be all _alone_.

He wasn’t sure if that was much better.

 

#

 

Fili sighed as he hauled his suitcase and laptop bag through the busy dorm hall. His adoptive mother was in front of him, carrying his duffle bag and bedding and frowning as she eyed the numbers on each door.

He had tried to tell Celebrian that he could move in by himself, but his mother was adamant that she would help. She didn’t realize that being seen with the headmistress really didn’t help his social standing at Eregion very much.

Not that Fili could really say that it _hurt_ it too much either. It was tough being the only dwarf in an integrated school.

Not that anyone mistreated him, of course. Bullying the headmistress’s kid was just asking for trouble, after all. And really, most of them were happy to just pretend he didn’t exist. Despite being integrated, the school was really quite clique-y. Sure, sometimes a brave hobbit would mingle with an elf or two, and occasionally an elf and a man would get it into their heads that they were Beren and Luthien reborn, but mostly, the races tended to stick to themselves, quietly shuffling past each other in the hallways and going about their own business.

Which left Fili as the odd dwarf out.

“Here we are!” Celebrian declared as she pressed Fili’s ID card to the sensor on the door and pushed it open. “Your home away from home for the school year!”

She was being far too cheerful, Fili decided as he followed his mother into his room. Unlike most boarding school, Eregion Institute gave each of their students private dorm rooms. It was originally founded by Celebrian’s parents nearly five hundred years ago. Being elves, they placed a high value on privacy.

Celeborn and Galadriel wanted Eregion Institute to be a shining example of co-habitation for all the races. They envisioned elves, dwarves, men, and hobbits all studying together and creating a world where the races mingled freely.

It hadn’t quite worked the way they had planned.

Perhaps tension between the races had been eased a bit by the school, and it was probably easier for the races to work together for a common goal, but they didn’t socialize as freely as Celeborn and Galadriel had dreamed. Things were made even worse when the dwarves quit attending.

FIli sighed again as he tossed is suitcase on the bed and dropped down next to it.. Dwarves, mistrustful by nature, had withdrawn from the institute in droves as comparable, _dwarven_ schools were built in Moria and Erebor. Those dwarves that couldn’t afford tuition at those schools typically went to the public schools in their own communities.

Celebrian gave him an understanding smile and took a seat next to him on the bed. “Fili, I know you haven’t had the easiest two years here at Eregion,” she said. “We would have sent you to Moria Academy but…”

“They may have taken me away from you,” Fili finished for her. Moria dwarves were the most traditional of all dwarves. They would view it as an affront at the least for a young dwarf to be raised by elves. It wouldn’t be unheard of, though, for the Grand Council of Moria to exert their authority to remove an underaged dwarf from an unsuitable home. If they deemed Rivendell an unsuitable home for Fili, they may have tried to take him away if he attended a boarding school there.

“We would have fought for you, and your grandparents would have helped, but it was best not to risk it,” Celebrian told him. “Besides, Eregion is a great school!”

“Just lonely,” he grumbled. He wouldn’t have wanted to risk his family to go to another school, but that didn’t mean he was happy at Eregion.

Celebrian sighed. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up, but another dwarf _did_ register for your year,” she informed. “He might not actually attend, though. We’ve had dwarves register in the past but never show up.”

Fili couldn’t help but be a little hopeful at the news, despite his mother’s warnings. After all, surely if the dwarf _did_ show up, he would want to be Fili’s friend, right? 

It was probably a little pathetic how much Fili longed for a friend. It was lonely being the only dwarf in a school full of races. Perhaps that would change soon though.

 

#

 

Kili’s stomach was in knots as he slid into a desk in the very back of his first class. He had skipped breakfast, not wanting to brave the student body when he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to handle any food anyway.

He kept his head down as the other students filtered in, not surprised when there were no other dwarves. His anxiety eased as he realized that, apart from one or two curious glance, the other students ignored him. Despite his fears of being lonely at Eregion, it was nice to be able to walk down the school hallways between classes without being shoved into a locker or knocked to the ground.

As the lunch bell rang, he felt himself beginning to relax. It was fine. He could get through lunch. He’d grab his food and then find a quiet corner to eat it in alone. He was through the lunch line and scanning the cafeteria for a place to sit when he saw him for the first time.

Mahal, he was gorgeous. Though he was seated, Kili could tell that he was perfectly proportioned for a dwarf. Short and barrel-chested, with muscular arms and legs and just the hint of a rounded belly and golden hair meticulously braided. Though not that long yet, the thick hair growing in on his cheeks and chin had the promise of a full and handsome beard, and his braid mustache only highlighted such promise.

He was the very image of the ideal dwarf.

And his sapphire blue eyes were locked on Kili.

Kili flushed and looked away, heart pounding at the other dwarf’s focus. Surely this perfect dwarf was going to find Kili as wanting as the dwarves in Ered Luin had. He bit his lip as he purposefully walked to a small empty table on the opposite side of the room as the other dwarf. The only thing to do, he decided, was to avoid the dwarf as much as possible. His mother had sent him to Eregion to keep him from being bullied. It was probably best not to tempt fate.

 

#

 

Fili watched with a sinking heart as the beautiful dwarf made eye contact with him and then walked away, choosing to sit alone rather than join him.

He had assumed that he had been lonely at Eregion because there hadn’t been any other dwarves as students, but maybe that was wrong. Maybe there was something inherently wrong about him that put others off.

Or maybe it was just painfully obvious to this new dwarf that he was raised by elves. He resisted the urge to toy with his braids. Were they wrong? He had read every book in Elrond’s library on dwarven culture, teaching himself to read Khuzdul from the few translated texts he found. He had thought his braids had been an appropriate tribute to his heritage.

He took a bite of his pizza and chewed without tasting. It might be a good thing the new dwarf hadn’t sat with him. He was ridiculously attractive with brooding good looks, and his baggy clothes did nothing to hide graceful build and long legs. Fili was sure he would have just ended up tongue-tied and making a fool of himself if he had sat with him.

It still stung though.

He finished his lunch quickly, not wanting to stay in the cafeteria any longer than necessary, and escaped to his next class, not caring if he was a little early. It was chemistry, after all, and he loved science. It helped, of course, that his sister taught the class. 

Arwen wasn’t a permanent fixture in his home growing up, as she had spent many years studying in Lorien with her grandmother, but she had always been there for Fili whenever he needed someone to talk to who was Elrond or Celebrian. Elladan and Elrohir, though well meaning, were not the best people to go to for advice, after all. Fili was thrilled that she had taken a teaching position at Eregion this year. 

“Hello, _Professor_ ,” he greeted cheekily as he walked into her classroom to find her already there.

She raised a perfect eyebrow at him as he tossed his bag down at the lab table closest to her desk. “I hope you know that I am going to expect nothing but the best from you,” she quipped right back. She then grinned mischievously. “I hear there’s a new dwarf here.”

Fili deflated at that. “Yeah, and he took one look at me in the cafeteria and decided he’d rather not be seen with me.”

Arwen frowned at that. “I’m sure that’s not true. He doesn’t even know you yet! I’m sure once you two meet properly, you’ll end up being great friends!”

“Maybe,” he mumbled, not really holding out much hope. He quickly changed the subject. “How were your morning classes?”

“Not horrible, though I think there are a couple boys that I’ll have to keep my eye on once we start working with the bunsen burners,” she answered with a shake of her head. “How about you? Any classes you’re excited about?”

Fili rolled his eyes. “If you fishing for me to say I’m excited about _your_ class, you know I am.”

She beamed at him. “I wasn’t fishing for that, but I’m glad to hear it.”

A couple of elves walked through the door before Fili could say anything else, and he quickly beat a retreat to his lab table. He sighed as he pulled out his textbook, notebook, and a pencil. He hadn’t lied when he told Arwen he was excited for her class, but he also was very aware that, just like when he took Biology I and II, he would end up without a lab partner in this class as well. And though the labs were doable without a partner, they were slightly more difficult.

The bell rang just as the new dwarf rushed into the classroom, blushing as all eyes turned to him. The brunet bit his lip as he looked for a seat, hesitating a moment before coming over to Fili’s lab table and taking the empty seat with a miserable expression on his face.

Fili blinked, a small bubble of hope growing inside him before he glanced around and realized it was the only seat available to the other dwarf. _Of course_ , he thought bitterly, frowning down at his textbook, _why would anyone_ voluntarily _partner with him?_

 

#

 

Kili shifted nervously in his seat as he stole peaks at the other dwarf throughout the roll call. He hadn’t looked at Kili once since he sat down, instead glaring down at his textbook with a frown. Kili didn’t want to take it personally, but considering his history with other dwarves, he really couldn’t help it.

He barely was able to mutter a “here,” when the professor called out “Kili Durin,” fighting back tears as he tried to make himself as small as possible at the table. He just barely was able to catch the name “Fili Peredhel” when the other dwarf called “here,” so at least he had a name for would-be bully.

Kili was very grateful that all the professor had gone over were lab safety procedures and significant figures because he was far too tense to actually pay attention. He had just enough presence of mind to wonder why the elven professor had the same surname as Fili, but he knew he would never have enough courage to ask.

He fled the room as soon as the bell rang, not daring to give the other dwarf time to say a word to him. Thankfully, it seemed that chemistry was the only class he shared with Fili as the rest of his day passed without any other run-ins with the dwarf.

He grabbed his food to-go from the cafeteria and retreated to his dorm room to eat his supper without fear of his classmates. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hide forever, but he also knew that it was better that he hid as much as possible.

He was early the next day to his chemistry class, not getting lost like yesterday since he already knew the way. Only Professor Peredhel and Fili were there, talking quietly by the professor’s desk with smiles on their faces. Cringing as he interrupted them, he slunk to his seat, hoping that the professor’s presence would keep Fili from bullying him, even if she were somehow related to him.

He held his breath as Fili joined him at the table, the professor walking to the back of the room to pull a few boxes from the storage closet and began sorting through them, not paying them any mind.

_It was okay_ , he told him. Though Fili might say something nasty to him, he wouldn’t actually _hurt_ him with the professor in the room. He would be _fine_.

It didn’t stop him from flinching, though, when Fili opened his mouth and spoke to him.

“Look, I’m sorry you got stuck with me for a partner, but at least we can try to make the best of it,” the blond said in a pleading tone, causing Kili to stare at him in shock. Fili wince a bit at that but rambled on, “I mean, we’ll be partners for the whole year, and this class is pretty important to me because I love science and my sister is the professor and I really don’t want my grade to suffer, and I’m sure you don’t either. So we can at least try to get along, right?”

Kili blinked. “You mean… you’re not going to pick on me for being a poor excuse of a dwarf?” he asked in confusion. He wanted to kick himself a second after the question was out of his mouth. _Way to give him ideas, Kili,_ he admonished himself.

Fili looked taken aback by the question. “Of course not! How would I even _know_ if you were a poor dwarf?” he asked absently before shaking his head. “And even if I _did_ , why would anyone make fun of you for something so stupid? Wait, is that why you ran away yesterday?”

He shrugged. “I was afraid you would be like all the other dwarves in Ered Luin and bully me,” he mumbled, suddenly feeling awful for jumping to conclusions.

“I wouldn’t do that,” the blond dwarf said with a frown. “To be honest, I thought you thought _I_ was a poor excuse of a dwarf,” he added ruefully.

Kili gave him a tentative smile. “So if _neither_ of us thinks the other is a poor excuse for a dwarf, maybe we could try to be friends?” he asked hopefully.

Fili beamed at him. “I would like that very much.”

And suddenly, Eregion Institute didn’t seem so bad to Kili.

tbc…


End file.
